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Project Organised Problem Based Learning (POPBL)
What is a Problem Based Project?Introduction to course
Lecturer: Lars Peter Jensen
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Today’s Programme
• Presentation of the POPBL course
• Mm 1: Introduction to the study form
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The POPBL coursePurpose:To facilitate students ability to study in an environment with focus on Team
Work and Problem Based Learning
Objectives:During the course the students will develop:
Knowledge• project organized problem based learning
Skills• group work/conflicts and ways to solve conflicts • planning a project and structure the documentation of it• intercultural competencies• learning styles
Competencies • the project organized learning to actual problem related work in groups• presentation of results• communication within a group
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The POPBL course content
The contents include among others issues:• Problem based learning • Planning/controlling project work • Group work • Conflict handling• Communication• Presentation• Learning• Intercultural competencies• Experience with project work in small scale (short time)
Duration: 1 ECTS, i.e. 5 mini-modules in the beginning of the semester
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The POPBL course assesment
• Oral examination, max.½ hour for each student.
• Before the examination you have to
prepare a 10 min Power Point Presentation about your experience with project work.
• You can choose any topic you find relevant,
but you have to comment and reflect (What lessons to be learnt?) at least these topics:
Topics for presentation
• Cooperation contract (also called code of conduct or team charter)
• Management of people (who did what? why? )• Management of time (how did you plan and
control your project?)• Learning styles (what are your preferred learning
styles? How did you use this knowledge when learning, both alone and in the group?)
• Intercultural competencies (how did you manage to work with people from other cultures? What will you do if e.g. mixed with Danish students?)
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The POPBL course assesment
• Each exam start with you giving the prepared presentation and then 10-20 min is left for questioning in all areas of the course, but I will focus on the topics from the presentation.
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Foundation for the POPBL course
• Theoretical: Theories of learning, organisations and communication
• Practical: More than 35 years of experience with the ’AAU-model’
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Information about the course
• POPBL at SICT Moodle homepage: http://sict.moodle.aau.dk/ – Handouts– Literature
Intro Module1 10
Intro Module1 11
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Subject Topics
1 What is a problem-based project? Course introduction
2 Learning in a new culture and Learning in an intercultural context
3 Project Management and scientific writing
4 Learning strategies – individual and Team skills
5 Communication and group dynamics
Problem Based and Project Based Learning
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Mm 1: Introduction to the study form
Content:
1) Lecture 1: PBL and the ’Aalborg-model’
2) Group task: Experience with group work
3) Lecture 2: About the project
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Lecture 1: PBL and the ’Aalborg-model’
1. Introduction to PBL2. Physical and structural frame work at
AAU3. Educational frame work at AAU4. The study form at AAU
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Please think of one of the things that you are good at, write three words in the post-it describing how you learned it well
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Backgrounds of PBL in engineering
ELiTE March 2010
Teach me… and I will forget ?
Tell me and I will forgetShow me and I will remember
Involve me and I will understandStep back and I will act
Chinese proverb
Student centered learning
ELiTE March 2010
Carl Rogers on teaching at Harvard in 1951
• I have come to feel that the only learning which significantly influences behavior is self-discovered, self-appropriated learning.
• It seems to me that anything that can be taught to another is relatively inconsequential, and has little or no significant influence on behavior.
ELiTE March 2010
The magic of self-directed learning
Learning is the process of acquiring new behavior potential. It is an efective strategy to make the learner responsible for their own learning.This explains the succes of methods like project organized learning and Problem-based learning
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What does it demand to be an engineer in your country?
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Scientific knowledge
Technical competencies
Process competencies • Project management• Communication• Teamwork • Organization
Diversity of engineering competencies
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Globalized context
What kinds of engineers are expected for the future?
Diverse capabilities
Lifelong learning
Project management
Social, environmental, and
ethical concerns
Effective communication
Intercultural competencies
Designing and conducting
experiments
- National Academy of Engineering, The Engineer of 2020, 2004- EUR-ACE (Accreditation of European Engineering Programmes and Graduates, http://www.feani.org/EUR_ACE/EUR_ACE_Main_Page.htm - ABET: http://www.abet.org/
Identity and solve applied science
problems
Team work
Application of mathematics and
science knowledge
Analytical skills
Interdisciplinary knowledge
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Key competenciesScope and specific aims
Methods and skills
Student’s own
interest
Deeperlearningthrough projectwork
Changing traditional teaching and learning
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PBL as an example of PBL as an example of student-centered teaching and learning student-centered teaching and learning modelmodel
What is problem-based learning?What is problem-based learning?
A learning method based on the A learning method based on the principle of using problems as a principle of using problems as a starting point for the acquisition starting point for the acquisition and integration of new knowledge. and integration of new knowledge.
- H.S. Barrows 1980- H.S. Barrows 1980
Intro Module1 25
Pioneers • McMaster 1968• Maastricht 1972• Linköping 1972• Roskilde 1972• Aalborg 1974
Different practices • Single courses• Problem & project organized• Individual project • Team work
Where and how are PBL practiced?
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New study environment at AAU
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• Problems – question – wondering within a frame
• a project each semester (1. year)
• each group has a group room
• group size of 6-8 students first year, 2-3 students the last year
• each group has at least one supervisor
• self selected group and projects within themes and disciplines
• group presentation followed by individual examination
Lectures8:15-10:00
Lecture-relatedAssignment 10:15-12:00
Supervision -initiated & arranged
by studentsDoing project
In groups
PBL Aalborg Model - practice
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What is a supervisor?
• A person who through facilitating questions encourages your learning process
• A person who points out the potentials in your work
• A person who gives loyal and constructive critic of your work
• A person who at the project exam is one of the examinors
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What is a supervisor NOT?
• Not a teacher who is responsible for your learning process
• Not a person who tells you what to do• Not a person who decides what should
be the content of your project• Not a member of your project group• Not an inexhaustible resource –
therefore: Use your supervisor hours carefully
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project project supervisionsupervision
““supervisor ” supervisor ”
““Students”Students”
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Communication maps during a project
• Beginning of the project
• Progressing in the project
Observer
Supervisor
Sara
Tine Mike
Michael
ArthurObserver
Supervisor
Sara
Tine
Michael
Mike
Arthur
Project work
The New Aalborg Model
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50%courses
50%project
Course
5 ECTS
Project 15 ECTS
In groups up to 8 personsIndividual assessmentSelf-selected groups
Appointed supervisor(s)
One semester
1 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) = 30 working hours
Course
5 ECTS
Course
5 ECTS
Free Study Activities (courses) e.g. 1 ECTSExtra:
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The Aalborg-model – the study form
The key words are:
• Problems• Project• Team work
Let’s take the last first!
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Team work – WHAT?
• 6 - 8 students co-operating on the same project (at later semesters 1 - 3 students per group)
• They have to carry out the project and document the results
• An oral group presentation is the starting point for en individual exam based on the documentation, held at the end of the project period. Individual marks are given.
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Team work – WHY?
• A survey carried out in 1997 showed that 75 % of companies wanted new employees to have good skills in group work.
• The individual student in the group learns from the others (Peer Learning)
• Responsibility towards the group makes the individual student work hard
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AAU students on team work
• ”I think that it becomes easier when you learn technical matters in groups. Normally we use the blackboard to discuss things. … You gain more from the time you have to spend in the university in this kind of education when you work in teams. We are getting energy in this way.”
• ”Working in groups we get mental support from each other; it is also a responsibility so that we won’t drop out easily.”
(Xiangyun Du 2005)
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Team work – HOW?
• Students are in charge of forming their own groups
• Project groups choose their own project
It is important to be aware of different roles in the group and to learn how to use strengths in a constructive
way while improving on weaknesses
A Contract of Cooperation (CoC) is a useful tool in making mutual expectations explicit.
Supervision 38
Group contract – an example
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Group meeting
Subgroup work
Discussion
Disagreement
Presentation
Compromise
Exam Report writingLife
Social activities
Studying engineering via group projects
Brainstorm Multiple learning resources
Participating communities of practice – active learning, communication, organization, and management
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Diversity of group situation
Diversity of group situation
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At the end of each day, ask yourself
• I noticed that I … • I was surprised that I … • I was displeased that I …• I discovered that I … • I realized that I… • I relearned that I …• I learned that I…• I am pleased that I …
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If you feel confused, don’t worry. You are not the only one…You will have more opportunities to figure out…
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Project – WHAT?
A project is characterised by being• A unique task which includes• Many, complex activities and therefore
requests• Many project group members with
different skills and competencies; • The project is goal oriented, • Limited in time and resources and has to• produce a final result, i.e. the goal.
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Project – WHY?
• A survey carried out in 1997 showed that 75 % of companies wanted new employees to have good skills in project work.
• Working with realistic projects is motivating for students.
• It increases student activity and thereby increases the learning.
• Develops transferable skills, incl. project management, documentation etc.
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Project – HOW?
• The project is supported by project
related courses• Students have to look for relevant
information beyond the PE courses
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Project – HOW? Timing of a semester
Courses
Project
Weekly time
Project time
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The four phase model of a Project
Analysis
Design
Implementation
Test
Industriel Project
StudentProjecttoo broad
Student Projecttoo narrow
The idealStudent Project
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Problems - WHAT?
• The project group unpicks and formulates the problem embedded in the project
• The problem has to be analyzed within a relevant context before it can be solved
• The problem determines the choice of methods and theories to be used in the analysis as well as in the solution
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Problems – WHY?
• ‘Real life’ problems are interdisciplinary and complex
• Working with ‘real life’ problems meets the learners' interests and enhances motivation
• It emphasizes development of transferable skills, i.e. analytical, problem solving and information processing skills
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AAU students on problems• ”We are engineers – our responsibility is to solve real
technological problems.”• ”This is the first time we found a real problem
ourselves rather than getting something from supervisors. It is really exciting. It fits my way of learning. I learn better when I find the way myself. This way of learning is much better than only attending lectures, because I have to know why I need to learn this. When I know the objective clearly, I learn much better.”
• ”When working on a problem, I am strongly motivated and attracted. We need to solve this problem.”Xiangyun Du, 2005
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Problems - HOW?
You are working problem oriented when you
– Ask questions – Point out contradictions– Scrutinize sources of information– Wonder upon given information– Observe the lack of information– Problematise the obvious
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Group exercise
What are the most important things to make group work function well in the process of managing the project work?
• Please write down your opinions in the post-it – one point on each post-it
• Share within your group• Categorize and organize them into 5 levels by priority
in the poster• A poster presentation
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About the project
1. Problem analysis2. Documentation
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Problem analysis – WHAT?
• Looking at the problem from different perspectives/angles
• Dividing into different aspects/elements• Examining all the aspects/elements one
by one
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Problem analysis - WHY?
Me My wife
Water
What to do to get to my wife?
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Problem analysis – HOW?
1) Post It brain storm • 1) All group members write key words on PostIt
stickers and place the stickers on the board.• 2) All group members read the stickers and
participate in (re-)structuring them into a relevant structure
• 3) All group members participate in assessing and choosing project activities, based on the structure
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Problem analysis – HOW?
2) The 6 W model
ProblemWhom?
Why? What?
Where?
When?How?
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Documentation
3 types of project documentation:• Working papers• Project diary• Project report
The project report have to be handed in by the end of the project period
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Working papers – WHAT?
All types of written documentation, whether on paper or as an electronic file, which is related to
• the project task, • the project management • the group work
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Working papers – WHY?
• To capture, coordinate and distribute the information collected and/or created by individual members of the group, to the other group members as well as to the supervisor
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Working papers – HOW?
If written text the working papers should contain the following four parts:
1. Header for identification2. Introduction (What? Why?)3. The main text4. Summary (What did we learn?)
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Working papers – HOW?
• If diagrams, drawings etc. the working papers should as a minimum contain:
• Header for identification• Explanatory text
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Working papers – HOW?
In the Contract of Cooperation you could include points on production of working papers:
• How to distribute the work tasks• How many persons write in a sub-group• How to give response to working papers• How and when to get response from the
supervisor
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Diary
• A diary documents the most important activities and decisions in the group
• The group has to decide upon a suitable format for and content of the diary
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Assignment: Group discussion
Discussion within your project group:
• What are your goals and expectations to our project?
• What can you contribute to the project?
• Make a co-operation contract for your group
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This was all for today – good luck with your project!